Issue 421 October 2019 50p Are you ready? Brexit looms ... & Chippy looks to the future Parliament is in turmoil and Chipping Norton, with the nation, awaits its fate, as the Mop Magic! Government plans to leave the EU on 31 October – Deal or No Deal. So where next? Is Chippy ready? It’s all now becoming real. Will supplies to Chippy’s shops and health services be disrupted? Will our townsfolk, used to being cut off in the snow, stock up just in case? Will our businesses be affected? Will our EU workers stay and feel secure? The News reports from around Chippy on uncertainty, contingency plans, but also some signs of optimism. Looking to the future – Brexit or not, a positive vision for Chippy awaits if everyone can work together on big growth at Tank Farm – but with the right balance of jobs, housing mix, and environmental sustainability for a 21st century Market town – and of course a solution to those HGV and traffic issues. Chipping Norton Town Council held a lively Town Hall meeting in September, urging the County Council leader, Ian Hudspeth into action to work with them. Lots more on Brexit, HGVs, and all this on pages 2-3. News & Features in this Issue • GCSE Results – Top School celebrates great results • Health update – GPs’ new urgent care & appoint- ment system • Cameron book launch – ‘For the Record’ • Chipping Norton Arts Festival – 5 October The Mop Fair hit town in • Oxfordshire 2050 – how will Chippy fit in? September – with everyone • Climate emergency – local action out having fun, while the traffic Plus all the Arts, Sports, Clubs, Schools and Letters went elsewhere. LOCAL NEWS Brexit – is Chippy ready? As at late-September, Parliament is in turmoil and Brexit (‘deal’ or ‘no deal’) remains the plan. The Government also launched a £100m public campaign saying ‘Get Ready for Brexit’ (see www.gov.uk), aiming to reassure everyone over a possible ‘no deal’. The News Team looked at the situation more locally. Big business views are mixed. BMW, with their Oxford Mini supply to the UK with contingency plans in place – but watch plant, say a ‘no deal’ disruption could mean a two-week unpaid out for changes to the Pet Travel Scheme and allow at least leave shutdown from 31 October. But they still plan to start four months before travel for paperwork. Chippy’s major production of new E-Minis. The hospitality sector benefits a little from Bamford family, who own digger company overseas visitors enjoying a weaker pound. JCB (and much of Daylesford and But for them and the Social Care sector, EU Kingham) are Brexit and Boris Johnson staff are important. Some local care homes supporters, and expect ‘no Brexit fallout’ – employ well over 50% of staff from the rest see Box below. Chippy’s largest employer, of the EU. Southerndown’s manager, Eli Owen Mumford, has international Solomon, herself from the EU, said that markets and factories here and elsewhere owners Barchester Homes keep everyone in Europe. Their annual report mentions informed and were handling any issues – ‘contingency plans’ for customers with few staff were leaving. Sainsbury’s UK over £3m of goods held in stock. Chippy’s boss warns that a ‘no deal’ Brexit on 31 Mash owner, Justin Alderslake, said some Brexit Ware, an example of British October could ‘significantly disrupt’ supply suppliers were going out of business and political pottery featured in CN Arts of food and Xmas toys to the UK. Low import costs were rising. However, he’s Festival this month price Aldi is less concerned about import feeling positive and is doing well with many regulars in his new problems, as over 77% of its sourcing is British – and they are Chippy café. His innovative events such as a fashion show on increasing that. 18 October at 7pm (tickets £10) all help strengthen his So, should Chippy consumers plan ahead? Locals business. Coping with uncertainty, Chippy estate agents always mention the run on bread supplies when the snow hits are more proactive than ever, pursuing buyers to keep houses town. Research reported nationally in August suggests one in selling at the right prices. Mike Kettlewell at Over Norton five people already have a food, drinks and medicine hoard Farm said farmers invest and operate ‘a long time line’ so worth £380! One cautious Chippy resident pointed to ‘the with Brexit uncertainty, they are used to hedging. Dairy real possibility of shortages in the coming months, so it is farmers may even like a price hike. Future tariffs, subsidy sensible to bring some purchases forward and to stock up, if changes and viability of small farms are issues. you can afford to do so’. That resident suggested early In town at Co-op Pharmacy, pharmacist Yasin Yussab stocking now might help reduce supply chain pressure when does not foresee many supply problems – apart from normal real shortages hit. Not surprisingly, they hoped that an non-Brexit delays. But like other pharmacies, with Brexit ‘irresponsible no deal’ is avoided – and maybe Brexit as well. looming and safety standards rising, new systems are needed Not everyone would agree. such as for the Falsified Medicines Directive. Scanner and Chippy and country await what happens next. Our local software costs are borne by the pharmacies – the rest by roundup suggests some uncertainty, but cautious optimism drug companies. Chippy’s Veterinary Hospital should be and readiness to ‘weather the storm’. See more useful advice OK – drugs for our furry friends are a Category 1 priority for via West Oxfordshire District Council website. JCB – ‘No fallout from Brexit’ JCB, the UK’s successful international ‘digger’ maker, is significant financial backing to Boris Johnson and the owned privately by one of Britain’s richest families, the Conservatives. The Bamford family has had around £120 Bamfords, whose main UK residence million in dividends in the last four years. is the nearby Daylesford estate. With The Chief Executive says that JCB Brexit looming, JCB has just ‘expected no fallout from Brexit as its announced a possible downturn in equipment, like aerospace goods, trades business – not through Brexit, but under global World Trade Organisation linked more to the global automotive rules’. More than one third of its recession. The Staffordshire-based bestselling back-hoe loader’s components maker of excavators, earthmovers are from the EU, but JCB said any new and farming equipment has more duty payable could be claimed back when than 10,000 staff and 11 of its 22 finished goods are sold back into Europe factories in the UK. It had record (28% of its business). The Daylesford results in 2018, with turnover over Boris Johnson at a JCB plant family businesses are well known locally £4 billion, but growth was now stalling in the Middle East, as both employers and investors – with Daylesford Organics Turkey, Latin America and India. shops plus considerable accommodation and letting Chairman, Sir Anthony Bamford, 73, is a fervent property investment (including the Wild Rabbit Inn) in supporter of Brexit and through JCB or privately, has given Kingham, Daylesford and locally. 2 LOCAL NEWS The Head singled out, as equally impressive, those students CNS gets ‘great GSCE results’ who have made huge progress since they joined from primary Students at Chipping school. Some stand-out names of those who have ‘gone from Norton School celebrated strength to strength’ included: Thomas Adams, Georgia what headteacher Barry Collins, Molly Day, Esme Knight, Esther Rathbone, Emma Reed, Doherty called ‘another Aimee Simson, Clementine Wesson, Tom Whitehead and Ellie great set of GCSE results’ Williams. Barry added, ‘the Governing Body and I wish to this year with excellent congratulate all our students for their success and also headline results – acknowledge their commitment and resilience during those improving across the board very demanding GCSE years. We wish to celebrate each on last year. Strong performances student, irrespective of individual grades, who can now sit saw 77% of students achieving a back and know they gave everything to securing their future Grade 4 to 9 in English and Maths with the best GCSE grades possible’. combined – 7% up on last year! For English grades, 70% were 7 to 9 (up 8%) and 61% of Maths (up 2%). OCC leader at packed Town Hall Science grades were also up. Further, On 16 September, Oxfordshire there was a continued fall in the gap County Council leader Ian between the achievements of Hudspeth braved the wrath of disadvantaged and all other students. Chippy Town Hall packed with The Head reported that, with standards rising markedly, some our Councillors and public. He stunning results saw at least nine grade 7 to 9s achieved by was grilled for an hour about Lola Burnett, Ella Castle, Amie Cooper, Erik Fledderus, Louis 20 years’ inaction on HGVs Flower, Charlie Hill, Holly Ibrahim, Keira Koch, Catriona and faced demands to work McCleery, Elliot Rux-Burton, Felix Webb and Miles Weedon. with the Town on planning Outstanding performances also saw at least five Grade 7 to 9 Chippy’s big growth. Town passes by Ethan Bissett, Beth Blackwell, Katie Blundell, Lily Councillor Gordon Brown, Burnett, Maisie Frater, Jared Guzenda, Callum Hirst, Tristan who has led the summer Clean Air for Chippy campaign was Peissel, Lewis Pendery, Chloe Pierce, Zoe Robertson, Maya pleased with the excellent input from Councillors and public Salgado Swabey, Jonah Shaw, Abbie Slark, Evie Sokol, Dylan saying ‘I reckon he now knows we are serious about our Stovin-Bradford and Charlie Summers. planning and air pollution’. Mayor Don Davidson, applauded 50 years ago Town traffic and bypass plans Readers engrossed in Chippy’s current HGV issues might be currently proposed Link Road) would deal with A361 traffic.